About Skógafoss
Skógafoss is a 60-metre waterfall on the Skógá river in south Iceland, about 156 km southeast of Reykjavík -- roughly two hours by car along Route 1. At 25 metres wide, it has an unusually broad face for its height, which gives it the appearance of a solid wall of water rather than a narrow plunge. On sunny days, the mist from the base produces near-constant rainbows.
The waterfall sits at what was once Iceland's Atlantic coastline. At the end of the last Ice Age, the glaciers melted and the land gradually rose as the weight of the ice lifted -- a process called post-glacial rebound. This caused the shoreline to recede around 5 km inland, leaving the cliffs that now form the backdrop to the falls.
Visiting Skógafoss
The waterfall is directly off Route 1 with a large free car park at the base. From there it is a short, flat walk to the foot of the falls. You cannot walk behind Skógafoss as you can at Seljalandsfoss, but the base viewpoint is impressive and the spray reaches you well before you get close to the water. Wear waterproof layers and watch your footing on the rocks.
A staircase on the eastern side of the falls climbs around 400 steps to a viewing platform at the top, where the river stretches away into the surrounding hills. The views from the top take in a wide section of the south coast and are worth the climb if conditions allow. The path continues beyond the top of the falls as part of the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail, which leads toward the highlands and eventually connects with the Laugavegur trail.
Plan for one to two hours if you want to walk to the base, climb to the top, and spend some time at each point. If you want to explore the trails further, you could easily fill a full day.
The folklore
Skógafoss has a well-known local legend attached to it. According to the story, Þrasi Þórólfsson, one of Iceland's early settlers, hid a chest of gold behind the waterfall. It was reportedly discovered centuries later, but the chest was so rotted that only the ring handle could be grasped before it fell apart and sank. The handle is said to have been kept on the door of the nearby Skógakirkja church for years. The Skógar Museum, a few minutes from the waterfall, holds a collection of artefacts from the region and is worth a visit if you have time.
Skógafoss on the south coast
Skógafoss sits midway along the south coast route and combines naturally with the other major stops in the area. Seljalandsfoss is about 30 minutes to the west. Vík í Mýrdal and Reynisfjara black sand beach are roughly 30 minutes east. Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is about three hours further east. Most south coast self-drive tours include Skógafoss as a standard stop, and it also appears on most Ring Road itineraries.
